Electrical connector



Jufiy M, 1950 J. R. KEARNEY ELECTRICAL. CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 20, .1946

JAMES R. KEARNEY 19 TTOIPA/EY luc- Patented July 11, 1950 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR James R. Kearney, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo, a corporation of Missouri Application February 2c, 1946, seriam eiaozz 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrical connectors which are adapted for use in meohanically and electrically connecting wires and other electrical conductors, and more specifically to electrical connectors of the type which comprises a bolt having a slot formed longitudinally thereinyand a nut and follower assembly which is mounted on saidbolt in such manner-that the nut moves screwthreadedly of the bolt and the follower moves with said nut longitudinally of the slot of the bolt to clamp electrical conducting means between a portion of the follower and a portion of the bolt-the predominant object of the invention being to provide a connector of the type described above which-includes a follower that is of such improved construction and arrangement that spring'pressure is applied at all times to conducting means clamped by the conhector so as to insure good electrical contact between clampedconducting means and between clamped conducting means and the connector.

It has been found in the use of connectors of the general type to which this invention relates, that due to thesoftness of the material forming elementsclamped by the connectors, or because of vibration of suspended wires, or expansion. of the connectors due to-temperature changes, said connectors frequently: become loosened in use so that good electrical contact between the connected elements and parts of the connectors is not obtained. The prime purpose of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved connector which includes a follower which is made from inherently resilient material and which is so constructed and so-arranged in the connector assembly that positive spring pressure is exerted against the clarnlped elements at-all times during the use-of theconnector. 'Because of this arrangement, pcsitive electrical contact is provided between elements connected b the connector,

and between said elements and part of the connector, when the nut-of the connector is drawn up tightand:thispositive electrical contact between the clamped elements, and between the clampedelements-and part of the connector, is

-maintained by the improved follower of the connector if for any reason any looseness of the connector develops in use.

Fig. 1 is a sideelevational View of the improved connector of the present invention, showing section electrical conducting elements, which are illustrated as being clamped by the connector.

Fig.2 is a verticalsection of .the improved connector taken onii-ne-Z-Z of Fig. 1.

, '2 Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a partially completed follower of the type illustrated in Figs 1, 2, and 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan View illustrating the follower shown 'in Fig; 4 as it appears after completion thereof.

In the drawing, wherein are shown for purposes of illustration, merely, several embodiments of the invention, A designates the improved connector generally. The connector A includes a bolt"! which is provided with a slot 2 that extends longitudinally of the shank portion shown in Fig.1, and mounted on, said spaced legs la: and this an'assembly comprised of anut 3 and a follower 5.

The nut 4 and the follower 5 are permanently associated with each other in such manner that the nut may rotate relative to the follower. The nut is a standardnut and the follower is in the form of a washer that embraces the shank portion of the'bolt I. In other words, the follower 5 comprises a pair of semicircular washerportions l3 and l which are joined by a relatively narrow strip 8 of material which is formed integral with the semicircular washer portions 6 and I, said strip 8 being shaped as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 2, and said semicircular washer portions being brought into abutting relation so that the are combined toproduce a complete circular washer, as is shownv in Figs. '3 and 5.

Thesemicircular washer portions 5 and "i. are

shaped in cross-section as is shown inFig. 2;

that is tosay, said semicircular Washer portions are provided with a curved marginal portions which are shaped to provide downturned skirt portions 9a and 9b which bears edgewise upon the upper face 1 of the the associated not i, and the skirt portions of the semicircular washer portions of the follower 5 provide'the follower with a complete, annular skirt portion when the semicircular washer portions Wand "l are brought into abutting relation as described above.

The strip of material 8 of the follower 5 includes opposed, outer strip portions 10 and II which are extended downwardly through the .7 of the follower.

bore of the nut. The outer strip portions Ill and II extend entirely through the bore of the nut and project downwardly beneath the lower face 4" of the nut, and said outer strip portions l and H merge into inwardly curved, lower strip portions 12 and I3, and these inwardly curved strip portions l2 and [3 in turn merge into upwardly extended inner strip portions l4 and I5, said upwardly extended inner strip portions I l and I5 being joined at their upper ends by an upwardly curved bridge portion I6. The opposed outer strip portions l0 and H of the follower 5 are extended outwardly at their lower ends, as indicated at I! and [8, so as to render thelower portion of the follower of a width greater than the diameter of the bore of the nut 4, and thereby prevent unintended disengagement of the nut and the follower. Additionally, the follower 5 is formed from inherently resilient material, and the bridge portion N5 of said follower 5 extends to a point above the top faces of the semicircular washer portions 6 and I of the follower 5 when said follower is in an untensioned condition.

The nut 4 of the nut and follower assembly of the connector A embraces the spaced legs of the bolt l of said connector and the screwthreads of the bore of said nut engage the screwthreads formed on the outer curved surface portions of said spaced bolt legs, so that said nut may be adjusted screwthreadedly of the shank portion of said bolt. Also, the strip 8 of the follower 5 moves longitudinally within the slot 2 of the shank portion of the bolt with said nut during adjustment of said nut longitudinally of the bolt shank.

In the use of the improved connector disclosed herein, the connector A is arranged so that the wires B, or other elements to be connected by the connector, pass through the upper portion of the slot 2 of the bolt of the connector. The nut and follower assembly is then screwed upwardly with respect to the shank of the bolt of the connector to clamp the wires B between the wire seat 3 of the bolt and the upper, semicircular portions 6 and l of the follower 5, the nut being drawn up sufliciently tight to cause the lowermost wire B to contact with opposed, top surfaces of said semicircular portions 6 and As a result of this situation the bridge portion [6 of the follower is forced downwardly so as to place the substantially W-shaped strip 8 of the follower 5 under tension,

and the tendency of said strip 8 to return to its normal, untensioned condition will exert spring pressure against the wires B which will maintain said wires in close electrical contact with each other and will force the uppermost wire B into close electrical contact with the wire seat 3 of the bolt of the connector.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a method of producing the follower 5 is illustrated. This method involves stamping a structure from sheet metal which is shed as is shown in Fig. 4, said structure com prising the semicircular washer portions 6 and I which are integrally joined by a straight strip of material 8. The strip of material is then shaped by the same or a subsequent operation to cause said strip to take the form of said strip as it is shown in Fig. 2, and also in Fig. 5 where the completed follower is illustrated.

I claim:

1. A connector comprising a bolt having spaced apart shank portions screwthreaded at their outer portions, and a nut and follower assembly mounted on said spaced apart shank portions of said bolt for movement longitudinally thereof, said follower including semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut and embrace the spaced apart shank portions of said bolt, and a strip which is disposed in the slot of the connector bolt and joins said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, said strip of said follower being formed of inherently resilient material and being shaped to provide outer strip portions which extend downwardly through the bore of said nut, inner strip portions which extend upwardly through the nut bore vfrom the lower ends of said outer strip portions,

and a bridge portion which joins the upper ends of said inner strip portions and that is normally extended above the top surfaces of said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut.

2. A connector comprising a bolt having spaced apart shank portions screwthreaded at their outer portions, and a nut and follower assembly mounted on said spaced apart shank portions of said bolt for movement longitudinally thereof, said follower including semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut and are disposed in abutting relation so that they provide the follower with an upper circular washer portion which embraces the spaced apart shank portions of said bolt, and a strip which is disposed in the slot of the connector bolt and joins said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, said strip of said follower being formed of inherently resilient material and being shaped to provide outer strip portions which extend downwardly through the bore of said nut, inner strip portions which extend upwardly through the nut bore from the lower ends of said outer strip portions, and a bridge portion which joins the upper ends of said inner strip portions and that is normally extended above the top surfaces of said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut.

3. A connector comprising a bolt having spaced apart shank portions screwthreaded at their outer portions, and a nut and follower assembly mounted on said spaced apart shank portions of said bolt for movement longitudinally thereof, said follower including semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut and embrace the spaced apart shank portions of said bolt, and a strip which is disposed in the slot 01 the connector bolt and integrall joins said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, said strip of said follower being formed of inherently resilient material and being shaped to provide outer strip portions which extend downwardly through the bore of said nut, inner strip portions which extend upwardly through the nut bore from the lower ends of said outer strip portions, and a bridge portion which joins the upper ends of said inner strip portions and that is normally extended above the top surfaces of said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, and also providing means at the bottom of said follower for preventing disengagement of said nut and follower, the lastmentioned means comprising outwardly extended portions at the lower ends of said outer strip portions of said strip of the follower which are disposed beneath the lower face of the nut and give the bottom portion of the follower a width which is greater than the diameter of the bore of the nut.

4. A connector comprising a bolt having spaced apart shank portions sorewthreaded at their outer portions, and a nut and follower assembly mounted on said spaced apart shank portions of said bolt for movement longitudinally thereof, said follower including semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, and are disposed in abutting relation so that they provide the follower with an upper circular washer portion which embraces the spaced apart shank portions of said bolt, and a strip which is disposed in the slot of the connector bolt and integrally joins said semicircular portions which overlie the top face of the nut, said strip of said follower being formed of inherently resilient material and being shaped to provide outer strip portions which extend downwardly through the bore of said nut, inner strip portions which extend upwardly through the nut bore from the lower ends of said outer strip parts, and a bridge portion which joins the upper ends of said inner strip portions and that is normally extended above the top surfaces of said follower portions which overlie the top face of the nut, and also providing means at the bottom of said follower for preventing disengagement of said nut and follower, the last-mentioned means comprising outwardly extended portions at the lower ends of said outer strip portions of said strip of the follower which are disposed beneath the lower face of the nut and give the bottom portion of the follower a Width which is greater than the diameter of the bore of the nut.

JAB/ES R. KEARNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,943,677 Kearney Jan. 16, 1934 2,062,882 Henirich Dec. 1, 1936 2,150,994 Tallman Mar. 21, 1939 2,164,075 ORussa June 27, 1939 

